Analysis of Oxytocin Receptor Gene Expression in Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Alloparenting Behavior in Female Rats with Juvenile Pup Experience
Author(s)
Williams, Grace Elaine
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Ragan, Christina M.
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Abstract
Alloparenting, animals caring for young that are not their biological children, occurs across the animal kingdom. Furthermore, alloparenting can be induced via maternal sensitization, in which nulliparous rodents begin to show maternal behavior towards pups that are not their genetic offspring after prolonged exposure to them. Maternal sensitization achievement and latency can vary widely
between subjects, and what makes some females more likely to successfully maternally sensitize remains elusive. Previous studies by our collaborators found that exposing juvenile female rats to pups correlates with successful and faster maternal sensitization when those females were adults. Furthermore, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity is necessary for the onset of maternal
behaviors, such as pup retrieval and grooming. To expand on these findings, we quantified oxytocin receptor (OTR) gene expression in the mPFC in the pup-exposed and non-pup exposed groups from our collaborator’s study. We hypothesized that OTR expression is a positive indicator of maternal behavior even towards non-genetic young in nulliparous females. Our results showed
higher levels of OTR mRNA expression in the mPFC in the pup-exposed group relative to the non-pup exposed group. Early pup exposure, and corresponding upregulated OTR expression, could be
potential catalysts for maternal sensitization. Understanding a potential mechanism of maternal sensitization is essential to optimize infant care, as parental care is a critical aspect of physiological and psychological development in both biological and fostered children.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis